Vehicle door



C. H. WlDMAN Nov; 16, 1937.

VEHICLE DOOR Filed Nov. 20, 1955 INVENT'OR. C'fidrks If. 14 137714.

' ATTORNEYS- Patented Nov; 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE TheMurray Corporation of ration of, Delaware America, a corpo- ApplicationNovember 20,1935, Serial No. 50, 2

, 8 Claims. (01. 29 -44) t sidered in connection with the accompanyingfI'his invention relates to vehicle doors. More particularly it relatesto a novel and useful form of automobile door particularly adaptable forenclosed automobile bodyconstructions in which doors are provided having'windows 'slidably mounted for vertical movement therein. It is" ageneral objectof the present invention to provide a novel sheet metaldoor construction which may be :completelyfabricated andassembledp'rioi' tothe in's'tallati'e'n "of the window and wregulatormechanisim therein." llar other objectbf the present invention sts' inthe provision of "a door construction provided with an aperture in theframe work to facilitate the mounting ef the window in the door afterthe doorhas been completely assembled heretofore it has beenconventionafin the manufacture of "doors'to surroundth'e windowhpenin'gs therein with 'displaceable" garnish molding's whichfwhenseatedin place, constitute one wall of "a glass runchannelinwhi'ch'the'vertically adjustable window is disposedl The presentinvention contemplates the provision of a door construction in which theglass runch'annels on all sides of. the window are formed as 1 permanentintegral portionsbf the door structureas a whole and in which meansare'provided for mounting the window'in place after the door has beencompletely assembled.

While door constructions have been known heretofore in which the wndowwas inserted through a slot in the top of the door frarr'ie'the presentinvention is primarily concerned with doors of a' shape now in commoncommercial use inswhich the window openings are generally trapezoidal inshape and are considerably narrower at the top than at the bottom: P

it is" a still further object v of thepresent invention toiprovide adoor construction in which a the garnish moldings surrounding the windowopening on boththeinboard and outboard side of the door'are formed asintegral parts of the door paneling.

Manyother and further objects and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent from the ,following specification when con-,mounted.

Figure lls a transverse sectional'view taken I on the line 4-'-4ofFigure' 2 showing the manner drawing forming a part thereof.

' In the drawing: 7

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a door embodying the novelfeatures of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a form of the novel door with portionsbroken away and indicating the manner in which the window is installedin place. I

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2 illustrating the man'- her in which one of the jamb facesof the doormates with the body structure in which it is in which the sections ofpaneling constitutihg'ithe door" are secured together and the mannerinwhich they are secured to the glass channel g0 in'the window opening;

' Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on" the line 5-5 ofFigure 2 showing the front door 'r'ail'and the manner in which the glassrun channelis'form'ed therein.

ing, itwill be "appreciated" that the specific embo 'dimenflof' theinvention disclosed therein is merely illustrative of onebfman'y formswhich th more particularreference to the draw-" the generic inventiveconcept presented in this application may take. v

- The door construction shown in the drawing comprises a pairofsubstantially ctr-extensive mating sections'of paneling l and 2respectively.

panels around and defining the window openings are'formed 'toprovideinturned flanges 3 aud t respectively, lying substantially in theplane'of the window opening. The specific use and function of thesei'nturned become clear.

f It will be noted by reference to the perspective flanges willhereinafter view, Fig. 2, that the window opening therein is generallytrapezoidal in shape andis considerably'narrower at the top than at thebottom. This typeof window opening has become generally acceptedparticularly for front doors due to the almost universal use ofrearwardly sloped Windshields and front pillars with which these ,doorsmate.

The inner of the two panels constituting the door is preferablypreformed to provide a jamb.

face 5 extending completely around'the periphery the window duringvertical movement. 'be appreciated that in door constructions of the theportion thereof surrounding the window opening preformed to provide anattractive finish molding generally designated 8 which is an integralpart of the inner panel.

A glass run channel 9 is mounted in the rear edge of the window openingand preferably has its two side walls mated with and welded to therespective inwardly projecting flanges 3 and 4 on the inner and outerpanels. The base of this channel member H] is preferably supported bymeans of a suitable bracket ll welded thereto and directly secured tothe adjacent jamb face of the inner paneling member 2.. The channelmember ID may have secured therein a suitable composite rubber andfabric Weather stripping element 12 of the type generally disclosedinapplicants assignees prior co-pending application,

Serial No. 43,882, filed Oct. 7, 1935.

A similar channel element (not shown) may be mounted in substantiallythe same manner in the upper marginal edge of. the window opening toreceive the. window when infully'raised position. V a

At the forward side of the door the inwardly projecting flanges on thepanel members are reinforced by sheet metal strips l4 welded thereto andthese inwardly projecting flanges are covered 'bymeans of suitablecomposite weather stripping elements l5.;

The inner paneling 2 is provided substantially" centrally thereof with asuitable aperture l6 which permits the installation of a conventionalwindow regulator mechanism I1 after the door has been completelyassembled. Also mounted internally of the door, below the windowopening, are a. pair of permanent guide channels l8 permanently securedto the door frame, which serve to guide It will type disclosed hereinthe glass run channels l8, although lying in substantially. the sameplane, may be'offset somewhat, from the channel, H1 in the windowopening in order to permit a slight' longitudinal movement of thewindow, in itsown plane, after it has been elevated to maximum verticalposition.

A suitable slot 20 is provided inone of the jamb faces of the dooradiacent one of the side edges of the window opening. This slot ispreferably of sufficient vertical extent so that a window 2| may beinserted therethrough after the door has been completely assembled. Asis conventional in the art, the window 2| has its'lower edge'se- 'curedin a suitable channel element 22 which has thereon fittings 23 adaptedto engage and cooperate with the arms of the regulator mechanism H inorder to control the vertical movement of the window with respect to thedoor.

A channel element25 serves to. close the slot 20 a after the window hasbeen mounted in place.

This channel element 25 is preferably provided on the exterior of itsbase with a resilient strip 26 which serves to cooperate with the stripsl4, Weatherstripping l5 and theinwardly'projecting It will bereadilyappreciated' opening in which it is mounted.

flanges 3 and 4 to provide a glass run channel in the lateral side ofthe window opening, opposite the side on which the channel I isdisposed. The channel element 25 may be secured in place I by aplurality of suitable screws 21.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a door constructioncomprising a pair of substantially co-extensive panel members has beenpro: vided, which may be completely fabricated and assembled prior tothe insertion of both the window and window regulator mechanism therein.It will be clear that after the door has been completely assembled, thewindow regulator mech-' anism may be installed in place and that thewindow then may be slid longitudinally in through the slot 25 and lockedin position with theregujlator mechanism' Hand that the slot 25 maythen. be closed to provide a complete channel 7 structure surroundingthree sides of the window opening. I Y

The aperture H in the innerpaneling which provides means for insertingthe regulator mechanism may be closed by means of a suitable cover plateand the lower portion of the inner surface of the door may be covered bymeans of a conventional inner trim panel 3|. The inner trim panel 3| mayextend upwardly to a suitable point below the window opening and theinner paneling of the door surrounding the window opening may befinished in any desired fashion. Weatherstripping elements 32 and 33 maybe secured between the inner trim paneling and in order to effect atight closure of the door with respectto the .It will be apparent thatthe specific embodim'entof the present invention herein illustrated anddescribed is merelyillustrative of one of the forms which thege'nericinventive concept may take. Many and other further modificationsfalling within the scope. of the subjoined claims will be apparent tothose skilled in the art.

What is claim-ed is:

1 A vehicle door having a window opening therein, said window openingbeing of substantially greater width at the'loottom than at the top,said door being formed to provide a slot in one of the jamb facesthereof, said slot'communieating with said window opening. said slotbeing of substantially shorter length than the transverse width of saidwindow opening.

2. In a vehicle door having a generally trapezoidal window openingtherein, said opening being of greater width at the bottom than attheto-p, a slot communicating with said opening and extending throughone'of the jamb faces of the door to facilitate the mounting of a windowin said opening, and means for closing said slot, said means serving toguide said window during adjustment.

3. In a vehicle door having a window opening therein,- a pair of "sheetmetal stampings secured together in their marginal edges and in themarginal edges of said window opening, one of said stampings having anupwardly extending slot therein adjacentsaid window opening, said slot'being of 'suflicient vertical height to permit the insertion of awindow therethrough in said door after the securement of said stampingstogether.

4. A vehicle door construction comprising a pair of sheet metalstampings having registering ge'nerally trapezoidal window openingstherein,

onejof said stampingsbeing preformed to'fprovide a jamb face for saiddoor and joined to the other of said stampings in their marginal edges,

-thejamb. face of said door adjacent one of the lateral sides of saidwindow opening having a slot therein to permit insertion of a windowlaterally between said stampings after said stampings have been securedtogether and means for closing said slot.

5. A vehicle door construction comprising a pair of sheet metalstampings having registering generally trapezoidal window openingstherein, one of said stampings being preformed to provide a jamb facefor said door and joined to the other of said stampings in theirmarginal edges, the jamb face of said door adjacent one of the lateralsides of said Window opening having a slot therein to permit insertionof a window laterally between said stampings after said stampings havebeen secured together and a cover plate removably mounted on the jambface of said door for closing said slot, said coverplate having aportion adapted to guide said window during vertica movement.

6. A vehicle door construction comprising a pair of sheet metalstampings having registering generally trapezoidal window openingstherein, one of said stampings being preformed to provide 'a jamb facefor said door and joined to the other of said stampings in theirmarginal edges, the jamb face of said door adjacent one of the lateralsides of said window opening having a slot therein to permit insertionof a window laterally between said stampings after said stampings havebeen secured together and a cover plate removably mounted on the jambface of said door for closing said slot; said cover plate having aportion providing the base of a glass run channel for guiding saidwindow during vertical movement.

7. A vehicle door construction comprising a pair of sheet metalstampings secured together in their marginal edges and spaced in theirbody portions, said stampings having registering aperthe side walls ofupwardly extending glass run channels at the lateral sides of saidwindow opening, one of said stampings being preformed to provide a slotin the jamb face of the door at the lateral side of said window openingto permit the insertion of a window in said door after the securement ofsaid stampings together and means for closing said slot, said lastmentioned means providing a base for one of said glass run channels.

8. A vehicle door construction comprising a pair of sheet metalstampings secured together in their marginal edges and spaced in theirbody portions, said stampings having registering apertures thereinserving to provide a window opening of substantially greater width atthe bottom than at the top, said stampings serving to support the sideWalls of upwardly extending glass run channels at the lateral sides ofsaid window opening, one of said stampings being preformed to provide aslot in the jamb face of the door at the lateral side of said windowopening to permit the insertion of a window in said door after thesecurement of said stampings together and a cover plate for closing saidslot removably mounted on the jamb face of said door, the centralportion of said cover plate being depressed inwardly to provide a basefor one of said glass run channels.

CHARLES H. WIDMAN.

